The theatre room buzzed with tension.
Two groups had appeared—one set of faces Hikigaya Hachiman knew all too well: Yukino, Yui, Komachi, Haruno, and his ever-annoying teacher Hiratsuka.
The other half? Complete strangers.
A boy with deadpan eyes stood in silence (Ayanokoji).
A silver-haired girl leaned elegantly on her cane (Sakayanagi).
A tall, rowdy-looking guy with a dangerous grin (Ryuen).
A cheerful girl radiating warmth (Ichinose).
Others stood nearby, some watching quietly, some bickering already.
Before anyone could ask questions, a calm, unseen voice filled the void:
"You have been summoned to witness a story. You will not be harmed. When this ends, you will be returned to your worlds. For now, observe. Learn."
The light dimmed. A vast screen flickered to life.
Hachiman frowned. Tch… figures. Another rigged setup.
The others—both groups—exchanged uneasy looks.
The Projection
[Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.
Located on an artificial island built with government funding.
Currently, in Class 1-D, the new students were introducing themselves.
Arriving at a new class and then introducing oneself to get to know each other—it was an important step.
"Excuse me, everyone? I'm Yosuke Hirata. Let's all take turns introducing ourselves. I hope we can quickly bond and become friends."]
Commentary
Komachi: "Three years on an island school? That's like… a prison with nicer wallpaper."
Yui: "Ehhh?! An artificial island? That's crazy expensive!"
Yukino: (calm) "A controlled experiment. If it's government funded, then these students aren't just here for education."
Haruno: (smirking) "Ara, sounds like fun. Trapping teenagers and watching them squirm—almost sounds like reality TV."
Hiratsuka: (mutters darkly) "This school again… no way they'd show this place to us of all people."
Ichinose (to her classmates): "Hirata-kun… I remember this. That's how you introduced yourself."
Hirata (stiff, surprised): "Y-yeah. That's… me."
Ryuen: (snorts) "Tch. Playing the friendly leader. Always trying to herd sheep."
Sakayanagi: (soft laugh) "But effective, Ryuen-kun. Half the class adored him for it."
Komachi: (perks up) "Ohhh! He sounds nice! Way nicer than Onii-chan ever was starting school."
Hachiman: (scowls) "Oi."
Yui: (giggles nervously) "She's kind of right, though… if it were Hikki, he'd probably say something gloomy like, 'Don't talk to me unless you're a convenience store clerk.'"
Ryuen: (grins at Hachiman) "Sounds about right. You're one of those types, huh?"
Hachiman: (frowns at him) "…Do I know you?"
Ryuen: "Nope. Don't need to. I can smell it."
Yukino: (sighs, ignoring them) "Regardless, this Hirata seems like a model classmate. Precisely the sort of person Hikigaya-kun could never emulate."
Haruno: (teasing) "Oho, Yukino-chan, taking shots already? At least give him a chance."
Hachiman: (muttering) "…I didn't ask to be compared to Mr. Sunshine over there."
The Projection
["There were also introductions like:
'Next up is me! My name is Kushida Kikyo. My goal is to be friends with everyone here! I want to create lots of wonderful memories, so please come talk to me often!'"]
Commentary
Komachi: "Whoa! She's suuuper cute! Look at that energy!"
Yui: (eyes sparkling) "Eh, she's like… the perfect popular girl. Way more outgoing than me."
Haruno: (smirking) "Mmm~ sunshine in human form. Almost too perfect. Suspicious."
Yukino: (flatly) "Overcompensating. That level of cheerfulness is a calculated performance."
Hiratsuka: (arms crossed) "She's the type who takes the whole class into her orbit. Good at making connections—whether sincere or not."
Ichinose: (smiling warmly) "Kushida-san really did try her best to reach everyone. I admired that."
Hirata: (nodding) "She helped me set up the group chat… without her, the class might not have come together at all."
Ryuen: (snorts) "Hah! That fake grin? She's fishing for control. The kind that hides fangs under sugar."
Sakayanagi: (amused) "Ara~ but effective, Ryuen-kun. She did become indispensable to Class D, didn't she?"
Komachi: (glares at Ryuen) "Hmph! Don't be mean, she's adorable!"
Yukino: (sharp glance at Komachi) "Komachi, you must learn to distinguish sincerity from performance."
Komachi: "I know that! But people like her… they're at least trying. Unlike Onii-chan."
Hachiman: (sighs, muttering) "Oi. Don't drag me into this. Besides, that fake-smile type? I've seen plenty. They're exhausting."
Yui: (nervous laugh) "Ahaha… Hikki really doesn't like cheery people, huh?"
Haruno: (grins at Hachiman) "Which makes me want to push you closer to her, just to see what breaks first."
Hachiman: (grimacing) "I'll break first. Definitely me."
The Projection
[And soon, it would be his turn.
At that moment—
A black-haired boy sat by the window.
If one were to describe his appearance, he could be considered an ordinary handsome guy.
His dead fish eyes slightly ruined the aesthetic, but he was certainly someone you could get used to looking at.
His name was Hikigaya Hachiman.
Originally a student at Sobu High School in Chiba, on his very first day of school, he was hit by a car while trying to save a puppy that had run into the street.
That led to three weeks of recovery in the hospital.
For a first-year student, this was devastating. Small social circles typically formed within the first week—or sometimes even within two to three days.
It was easy to imagine that, upon returning to class, he would be destined to spend his high school years alone again.
However, something unexpected happened.
His guidance counselor, Hiratsuka Shizuka, pointed him toward a new path.
She recommended Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School to him.]
Commentary (corrected phrasing)
Komachi: (gasps, clutching her cheeks) "O-Onii-chan! You're the star of this?!"
Yui: "Wait wait wait, Hikki?! Why's it showing your life?!"
Hachiman: (rubs his temple) "…Hold up. This isn't right."
Yukino: (arches brow) "What do you mean?"
Hachiman: (sighs) "In our world, I turned this down. Hiratsuka-sensei offered, but… I thanked her and said no. I stayed at Sobu. This—" (gestures to projection) "—this is some alternate track where I said yes."
Hiratsuka: (narrowing her eyes, quietly proud) "…You really did, huh. That day, you stood up straighter than I'd ever seen you. Thanking me, rejecting it—choosing your own path. I'll remember that."
Komachi: (soft smile) "…Onii-chan…"
Haruno: (mock gasp) "Oooh~ so in another world, you'd be swimming in money and girls, but in ours, you stayed with us? How sweet."
Yui: (flustered) "Eh?! D-Don't tease him like that!"
Ichika: (confused) "So wait—this is like… a branch reality? Where he accepted and came here?"
Ichinose: (nodding slowly) "…That explains it. It's not that he doesn't belong—it's that this isn't the same him we know."
Ryuen: (grinning wide) "Heh. Different world, same dead-fish eyes. Still looks like a loser to me."
Komachi: (snaps at him) "Say that again and I'll—!"
Sakayanagi: (amused, fanning herself) "Ara~ don't worry, little sister. It only makes him more fascinating. The 'what if' boy."
Hachiman: (mutters) "…Great. I'm a walking DLC pack and now an alternate universe poster child."
Haruno: (teasing, to Ayanokoji) "Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Someone else here wasn't exactly given a fair, standard entry."
Ayanokoji: (calm, unreadable) "…Perhaps."
Projection
[Originally a student at Sobu High School in Chiba, on his very first day of school, he was hit by a car while trying to save a puppy that had run into the street.
That led to three weeks of recovery in the hospital.
For a first-year student, this was devastating. Small social circles typically formed within the first week—or sometimes even within two to three days.
It was easy to imagine that, upon returning to class, he would be destined to spend his high school years alone again.]
Commentary
Yui: eyes wide "W-Wait, you got hit by a car?! Hikki, you never told us that!"
Hachiman: shrugs "…Not exactly my proudest moment. Saving a dog's cute. Getting roadkill'd, less so."
Komachi: teary-eyed "Onii-chan…! You didn't tell me it was three weeks! No wonder you're so gloomy!"
Yukino: soft voice "…So that was the beginning."
Ichinose: frowning "That… that would isolate anyone. No wonder you ended up alone."
Ryuen: snorts "Hah! Excuses. In my class, you either claw your way up or get crushed."
Haruno: mock gasp "Oh, poor little loner. Hit by a car and abandoned by society. It's like the gods wanted you to stay unpopular."
Hachiman: glares at Haruno "…Thank you, Haruno-san, for your bottomless empathy."
Projection
[However, something unexpected happened.
His guidance counselor, Hiratsuka Shizuka, pointed him toward a new path.
She recommended Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School to him.]
Commentary
Komachi: sniffles but smiles "Sensei really did save you, huh."
Hiratsuka: smiles faintly "All I did was throw him a rope. Whether he took it was up to him."
Hachiman: mutters "And in our world, I told you 'thanks but no thanks.' Should've stuck to that."
Yui: "Eh, but if you'd gone here, maybe things would've been different! You could've… made friends?"
Sakayanagi: taps her fan thoughtfully "Ara~ Hiratsuka-sensei has an eye for strays. And sometimes strays bite the hardest."
Ichika: "Sensei… wait, she was your teacher too?" [looking at Chabashira in surprise on-screen]
Hachiman: "…Let's just say Hiratsuka-sensei collects problem children like Pokémon."
Hiratsuka: laughing dryly "You make me sound like a delinquent shelter."
Projection
[And now—
"Komachi, watch this."
"Making friends should be quite easy."
Now was the opportunity.
With that thought—
Hachiman had already come up with an intense and passionate self-introduction.]
Commentary
Komachi: leans forward, sparkling "Yes! Do it, Onii-chan! Finally, a cool moment!"
Yui: "W-Wait, this is gonna be good, right? Please tell me it's good…"
Hachiman: grimaces "…Trust me. This is going to be like watching your own middle school cringy blog posts out loud."
Ryuen: snickering already "Heh. Dead fish about to flop."
Ichinose: hopeful "No, maybe he'll surprise us…"
Haruno: grinning ear to ear "Oh, I cannot wait."
Projection
["Catering to others, seeking approval, staying in touch, going along with conversations—that's not real friendship. That's not what a true friend is."
"A real friend is someone who, when you call for help at 2 AM, gets on their bike and rushes to your side at 50 km/h without hesitation."
"So, if anyone here shares that kind of mindset—let's be friends."]
Commentary
Komachi: buries face in hands "Onii-chan nooooo!"
Yui: yelps, covering her mouth "Ehhh?! You actually said that?! In class?!"
Yukino: pinches the bridge of her nose "…This is even worse than I expected."
Haruno: laughing uncontrollably "Oh gods, I love it! Dead fish boy preaching about true friendship! Ahaha!"
Ichika: wincing "That's… not how you survive Class D."
Ichinose: sympathetic smile "It's… sincere, though. Misguided, but sincere."
Ryuen: roars with laughter "BAHAHA! What a clown! You'd have been eaten alive in my class."
Sakayanagi: eyes sparkling "No, no… this is delightful. He's… different. Bold, in the most socially suicidal way possible."
Hachiman: monotone "…And this is why I rejected the offer in our world. I prefer living with my humiliation private, thanks."
Hiratsuka: snorts softly "And yet, seeing you try—even in another world—makes me oddly proud."
Projection
[And then…
Yeah, that was definitely a no-go.
Because… did such friends even exist in real life?]
Commentary
Komachi: giggles despite herself "At least you realized right after, Onii-chan."
Yui: "Ehh… it's… kinda sweet though? Like… your real feelings slipped out."
Yukino: folds arms "…Naïve. But not meaningless."
Ichinose: nodding "Sometimes… sincerity touches people more than perfection."
Ryuen: snorts "In Class D? Sincerity gets you crushed."
Sakayanagi: smiles slyly "And yet… it leaves an impression, doesn't it?"
Haruno: elbowing Yukino "Sounds like someone else we know, doesn't it?"
Hachiman: groans audibly "…I want to die."
Projection
[At that moment—
"Horikita Suzune."
A top-tier beauty sitting behind him introduced herself, but her introduction was extremely brief—just her name.]
Commentary
Ichika: gasps "Horikita-san?!"
Hirata: eyes widening "She was in Class D too… but this version—?"
Sakayanagi: smiles knowingly "Ara, so the ice queen appears."
Yui: tilts head "Eh? She's so blunt… didn't even say anything else."
Yukino: softly "…A kindred spirit, perhaps."
Komachi: giggles "Onii-chan, you sat next to a beauty and still managed to be forever alone? Amazing."
Hachiman: dryly "…Thanks, Komachi. Truly, your faith in me is inspiring."
Projection
[As Hachiman pondered this, his turn for self-introduction finally arrived.
"Alright, next up—"
Hachiman held his breath.
And then—
He began.
"I am Hikigaya Hachiman… from Chiba. My hobbies are—"
"What are you all doing?"]
Commentary
Komachi: eyes wide "Onii-chan—cut off!!"
Yui: "Ahh! Saved by the bell!"
Haruno: pouts "Boo, I wanted the full disaster."
Ryuen: snickers "Guess even the universe couldn't stand his speech."
Sakayanagi: smirking "Interrupted by fate. How poetic."
Yukino: relieved sigh "…Perhaps mercy exists after all."
Hachiman: deadpan "…Honestly, thank god. I couldn't listen to myself either."
Projection
[At that moment—
A tall woman with black hair tied in a single ponytail entered through the front door of the classroom.
Her figure was outstanding.
She wore a black women's suit, with a white shirt underneath, creating a sharp and dignified contrast.
She also wore black stockings—the garter belt type.
With every step she took in high heels, the sound of her heels echoed—click, click, click.
The rhythm was almost mesmerizing.]
Commentary
Komachi: blushes "W-Whoa… sensei's stylish!"
Yui: "Ehh?! She looks strict… kinda scary…"
Haruno: grinning wickedly "Oh ho~ stockings and heels? This school has taste."
Hiratsuka: smirks knowingly "Sae… you haven't changed."
Ichika: "That's… our homeroom teacher. But this version… feels colder."
Ryuen: snickers "Heh. Definitely the type who'd grind you under those heels."
Hachiman: flatly "…And people wonder why I don't like youth."
Projection
[ Her voice was slightly low, but it had an unexpected magnetic charm that made it pleasant to listen to.
For your typical otaku, they would probably be begging to be stepped on by her high heels at this point.
But Hachiman thought—If she wore a maid outfit instead, the contrast would make her incredibly eye-catching.
And just like that—
This woman interrupted Hachiman's self-introduction.
She then walked up to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote down her name—
And introduced herself.]
Commentary
Komachi: blinking rapidly "Did… did Onii-chan just think about… maids?"
Yui: flustered "H-Hikki!! Seriously?!"
Yukino: pinches the bridge of her nose again "…Hopeless."
Haruno: bursting out laughing "Oh, I like this version of you, Hikki. Maid fantasies in the middle of class? Delicious."
Ichika: sweatdrops "…This is Class D material all right."
Sakayanagi: hides her smile behind her fan "Ara~ truly entertaining."
Ryuen: snorts "What a creep."
Hachiman: groans, covering his face "…Kill me now."
Hiratsuka: grinning "…Still the same rotten imagination, no matter the world."